Nick Meyer plans a full sales launch in 2018 on the noir adaptation, styled as a backwoods version of Fight Club meets No Country For Old Men about a down-at-heel family man who enters a bare-knuckle brawl with a $100,000 purse. Margaret Qualley and James Badge Dale also star.

Rumble Films chief David Lancaster reunites with Meyer after they worked together on Drive, Nightcrawler and Whiplash while Lancaster was at Bold Films.

Principal photography is currently underway in Cincinnati on the project, which is fully financed by Paris-based Backup Media. UTA Independent Film Group represents US rights.

“We are delighted to be working with David again,” Sierra/Affinity CEO Meyer said. “Donnybrook is right in his producing wheelhouse of delivering high quality elevated genre films and we can’t wait to bring Tim’s vision of this muscular and gritty world to a global audience.”

Frank Grillo, Jamie Bell, Margaret Qualley, and James Badge Dale are set to star in the indie pic “Donnybrook.”

Tim Sutton is writing and directing.

Production starts on Oct. 23 in Cincinnati. Backup Media is fully financing the film. UTA Independent Film Group is representing North American rights.

Adapted from Frank Bill’s 2013 noir novel of the same name, the film follows a man hard up for cash and determined to support his family competes in the Donnybrook, a legendary, bare-knuckle brawl where a $100,000 prize goes to the last man standing.

The film is produced by David Lancaster along with Stephanie Wilcox of Rumble Films, together with Backup Media. This is the third feature in the last two years that the two companies have made together after Fabrice du Welz’s “Message From the King” and Evan Katz’s “Small Crimes.”

David Lancaster’s Rumble Films and Paris-based Backup Media have signed Frank Grillo, Margaret Qualley, James Badge Dale and Jamie Bell to star in Donnybrook.

Production is scheduled to begin on October 23 in Cincinnati. Backup Media is fully financing the film and reunites with Rumble after Message From The King and Small Crimes. UTA Independent Film Group represents North American rights.

Donnybrook is based on Frank Bill’s 2013 noir novel of the same name about a down-at-heel family man who enters a legendary bare-knuckle contest where the last man standing wins $100,000.

Sutton wrote and directed Sundance and Venice 2016 selection Dark Night as well as 2013’s Memphis.

Lancaster is producing with Stephanie Wilcox of Rumble Films alongside with Backup Media, whose new films this year include Submergence and Promised Land.

Kingdom star Frank Grillo has been tapped to star in brawl film Donnybrook, along with Fantastic Four‘s Jamie Bell, Margaret Qualley (The Leftovers), and James Badge Dale (Only The Brave). From writer and director Tim Sutton, the film is an adaptation Frank Bill’s 2013 noir novel of the same name. Described as a backwoods version of Fight Club meets No Country For Old Men, the story follows a man, in order to support his family, competes in the Donnybrook, a legendary, bare-knuckle brawl where a $100,000 prize goes to the last man standing. David Lancaster (Whiplash) and Stephanie Wilcox of Rumble Films are producing with Paris-based Backup Media (Submergence), who is fully financing the project. UTA Independent Film Group is reps North American rights. Production commences next week. Grillo is repped by CAA and Management 360; Bell by UTA and Artists Independent Management; Qualley by UTA and Management 360; Dale by CAA and MJ Management.